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Sunday, February 24, 2013

I've seriously been dragging my feet in the synopsis department. I mean, first we have to grab someone's attention in 200 words with the query and then whittle our whole book in a 1-2 page double spaced document????? (Yeah, that many question marks.)Now you know why it's taken me a whole year to write one. But even better, now I can say it's done! And the best thing? I love my synopsis and had a great time writing it...well, after the initial urge to slam my head in the wall and smash my laptop to the ground. Good thing I got over that!So, how did I do it?First I googled how to write a synopsis. After reading over several helpful articles, I gathered my thoughts and made up a loose outline. Basically, I took my format for writing a book and minimized that. What format do I use for writing, you may ask? I absolutely love the one and only awesomesauce filled, Story Engineering.

If you haven't read it, you need to! You won't regret it, I promise.

Here's what my synopsis outline looked like.Beginning-First Plot Point-Middle turning point-Second Plot Point-Climax-Ending-Yes, in case you haven't heard, add the ending of your book to the synopsis. After filling in a simple one line detail for each of those events, I made another list that looked like this.Important People-Important world building clues- (For my urban fantasy book, this was things that made the world of genies different from the norm.)Once that was finished, I stuck those clues into my sentences above, fleshed it out, added some voice, and then revised. What started as a four page double-spaced, somewhat detailed synopsis is now a clean polished, concise just over one page beauty. Did I do it alone? No. Which is the best secret of writing. Critique partners are just as important as knowing your abc's. Well, almost :) I sent it off and continued to work on it myself, rewording things to say them in a better way that would take less space. And most importantly, taking out anything that isn't absolutely needed to cover the basics.

Remember the unforgettable side characters I just blogged about that I love? Unfortunately, they may be an enjoyable addition to the story as a whole, but not always to the main conflict. You don't need to add every subplot and side character. Pick and choose, but keep the story true to itself! So, have you written a synopsis?

Monday, February 18, 2013

Have you ever read a book and had a certain character stand out to you? Me too! And my favorite ones are usually not the main character.And more often than not, I end up naming something after them. Right now my laptop and lapdesk are named after two characters from one of my favorite book series, Poison Study.Janco is my laptop.

And my lapdesk is named Ari.

If you haven't read the book, I highly suggest it. Usually my favorites are part of the comic relief. Some of my other favorites are: Finnick from Hunger Games and the two satyr's from Fablehaven.And I have a new character from a British TV show. Have any of you seen Merlin? If so, you'll know who this is and maybe know why.

Seriously! Where would the word be without Gaius?So, who are your favorites? Is it usually the steamy romantic character with a dark edge? Or how about the jester/joker with a hidden secret?Characters make the story...so be sure to make your characters strong and unforgettable!

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Have you heard about WriteOnCon? If not, get over there right now. Like, drop what your doing and go here. If you have, did you see their latest scheme to help us all become better writers? Or at least better at pitching our story?Check this out!

The forum's are open to post your perfected pitch. This is where others get the chance to critique it for you and help get you ready for the actual contest.The final pitch can be submitted on March 11 and the voting starts March 18.If you want more details be sure to head over to WriteOnCon.Good luck with everything!

Michelle Merrill

I'm a wife to the best husband and a mother to the cutest kids. I absolutely love to watch old movies, eat anything sweet, and play my music way too loud. My newest novel SUMMONED (Granted #2) is now available on Amazon. Don't miss my other books: GRANTED, CHANGING FATE, and short story TRAPPED (Granted Prequel).

TRAPPED

Click to find on Amazon

GRANTED

Click to find on Amazon

SUMMONED

Click to find on Amazon

Changing Fate

Click image to find on Amazon!

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What do I write?

I love anything and everything about YA fiction. But wait! I'm also getting into more MG. So, between the two, that's what I write, read, write, and read some more. I write mostly urban fantasy, fantasy, contemporary, contemporary fantasy...you can see where this is going. One of my favorite things is to lose track of time while I write. If I'm caught up in the story, hopefully my reader's will be too!